We've had a good chunk of undeniably spooky stuff featured recently on Weekday Escape: monsters in basements, ghosts flitting about haunted mansions, trap-laden cells to flee from... a whole collection of classic horror-movie standards. Compared to this week's offering, however, all the aforementioned are about as "scary" as a gaggle of baby bunnies, all in their Sunday best, enjoying a tea party.
Hotel 626, an advergame created to promote Doritos snacks, is an amazingly innovative, beautifully-produced nightmare of a game. After "checking in" (giving the website your name, email and creating a password), you are immediately whisked away into the opening movie: your awakening, in the middle of the night, in your room at this hellish hotel. Strange noises echo in the distance. Your breath quickens, your heart pounds, and some animal instinct screams that you need to get out. You throw on your shirt, dash into the hallway, and then the real game begins.
The journey through the hotel is comprised of ten levels, each of which involves its own creepy, unique task or puzzle. Some are extremely simple: locating the correct door, for example. Others involve more complex undertakings, such as figuring out a code or snapping a picture of a ghost's face. None, to be honest, are objectively very difficult or intellectually taxing. What you're really playing against is your own adrenaline, and the knowledge that if you mess up/take too long you're bound to meet a rather unfortunate end. And that, really, can be far tougher to overcome than any MENSA riddle. Luckily, if you do fail and die, the hotel is magnanimous to offer you the chance to either try it again or move on to the next level.
One impressive measure of the game's creativity is the lengths that it goes to create a sense of immersion in the scenario. At the beginning, while registering, you are given the option to allow access to your computer's webcam and microphone; if you do so, both those elements will be used in later levels. Also, near the end of the game, players in the United States can enter their phone numbers and receive a kah-reepy call from a "friend." Finally, as the name of the game implies, the Hotel is only "open" (accessible) from 6 PM to 6 AM, the better to set the spooky stage. However, for those of us who are impatient (me) or too chicken to play the game in the dark (also me), you can easily cheat by changing the time on your computer.
Of all the unanswered questions posed by this enigmatic hotel, perhaps the greatest mystery of all is how any of this relates in the slightest to Doritos (least relevant piece of viral advertising ever?). Still...I don't really care. Hotel 626 is superb, with wonderful visuals and audio, and manages to approximate the fear of such a situation (so far as I can imagine) better than any other online game I've come across. Heck, if it'll encourage them to make more of these, I'll go out and buy a bag of fake-cheddar-cheese-flavored corn chips right now!
If you're brave enough, your room is ready...
Update: Doritos has taken both this and Asylum 626 offline and they are no longer available to play, unfortunately. Previously tagged as: advergame, browser, escape, flash, free, game, horror, macwinlinux, pointandclick, puzzle, rating-o
I think you mean 6 PM to 6 AM...
Alas, maybe I'll have time tonight to 'check-in.'
Someone should have told Doritos - or the creator of the game - that beginning a game by making the player read a long list of "terms" will probably deter a huge proportion of potential players from going on.
What???
The opening animation ends by TRY AGAIN???
I can start to understand the - now - 2.0 rating of the game...
Make a reservation???? Huh?? For an escape game?????
Now I see why the low rating. Especially since you have to give them your email address. Which means unbelievable amounts of SPAM - which is okay on a sandwich (times is hard) but not in my inbox (times is not that hard).
First, there are always a handful of "1" ratings that hit every game when we first post it. Not sure why, but we're thinking of making ratings available only to registered users.
Second, If you don't have an email account that filters out spam, you should get one. GMail is an excellent service that learns what you specify as spam and automatically filters it for you.
Third, if this game was truly deserving a "2" rating, we wouldn't be featuring it here.
I'm against anything that demands lots of personal information just to begin a game. Make it a demo, if people enjoy the game enough then they can pay to give you all their details (and complete the game). A casual game shouldn't require your blood type.
This game seems to have crashed my Firefox (3.0.4) three thimes in a row :( I'm not giving it a fourth cahnce.
The atmosphere of the game is great, tehre's a lot of suspension and tension.
It's just not the kind of game i like :(
That, of course, won't make me give it a low rating though.
This one doesn't require your blood type for crying out loud. And just because it asks for personal information doesn't mean you have to give it to them. Make something up! And use a dontbugme email address if you don't want to give out your own.
There are ways around this sort of thing, ya know. Don't let that spoil your experience. Jess says this game is brilliant.
Jay, the 2.0 rating is based on 6 voters. Means nothing. I bet it's gonna climb as time goes on.
Geeesh! Pardon the SPAM comment. But they take this information only to tell me that my "room" will be ready in 3 hours 20 something minutes and some odd seconds. Maybe you should have posted this thing at 6 p.m. when people could actually play it.
[Edit: It IS already 6PM in many parts of the world. -Jay]
Okay, just spent half an hour with this game, and I have to say that I really don't follow the previous complaints.
For one, who reads those terms you should agree to? I mean, EVER? And just because you didn't immediately fly through it on the first try doesn't mean it's a bad game. I thought the atmosphere was great, it was just difficult enough that you had to retry some bits a couple of times but not enough to make you want to bash your head against a wall, and it was good all the way through to the ending, which, though predictable, I liked.
And faking an email address/using one designed for spam is incredibly easy.
Honestly.
BloatedSack: If you change the time on your computer, you can check in whenever. :)
BioLarzen: I believe that having Terms of Condition is par for the course in a game created by a corporation. Also, if you look at the "title" of the first level, it'll give you a hint as to what you need to do. If you need more help:
Click the door on the right side of the screen at the end of the hallway, the one with the red "Exit" sign.
Also, if for some reason you can't figure it out, you can always just move on to the next level.
4red3s: The "reservation" thing, I believe, is simply meant as a way to make it more hotel-y, as well as to remind players that the game is open at 6pm (for those who choose not to cheat and change their computer's time). In terms of giving them an email address...I seriously doubt they'll "spam" you (too big of a corporation for that). If they do, just unsubscribe from the mailing list.
This is such a good game, I'm really sorry that you guys aren't giving it more of a chance.
[Edit: It IS already 6PM in many parts of the world. -Jay]
Oh well, stepped in it once again.
Please Pardon me again. :(
not sure why the tone has become not so friendly?
At 6pm (in my part of the world) i will be cooking supper, helping with homework, making sure kid actually uses soap during bath, reading story, singing night night song, and collapsing.
no play for me after 6pm.
4red3s out of here.
[Edit: You could just change your computer's clock. -Jay]
I love your site, Jay, and the standards you maintain (this clause is known as "sugar-coating the pill"), but you are being hypocritical in asserting (I hope just out of frustration)--on a public forum that relies preponderantly on the notion of an open internet democracy--that "if this game was truly deserving a '2' rating, we wouldn't be featuring it here." The rating any game deserves is the rating it gets, so long as that rating engine is a democratic vote (which is why you prevent multiple voting). I truly and strongly believe that Aristotle has a heck of a lot more to teach us about the arts of living and thinking publicly than do a series of Chicken Soup for the ____ books, but if my students and the majority consume the latter with more relish, I cannot justifiably claim that Aristotle is inherently better for all unless I am willing to in the same breath abandon the notion of the marketplace of ideas (reserving the right in principle, as did Aristotle, to banish those from society who steadfastly refuse to listen to reason ;-).
I completely agree that a cadre of casual game experts such as your panel is better qualified than I to determine in a nuanced way how successful a game is in various facets: design, execution, creative use of new technology, what-have-you (I'm sure that list reveals my ignorance). I completely disagree that any democratic process--and the question "How much do you like this?" could hardly be more democratic--can yield undeserved results (we will set aside selection effects and the like because these are unresolvable issues one simply accepts as part of making a public website, putting out a movie, publishing a book, etc.).
I think you need to swallow your pride on this one, Jay, and learn the lesson of Aristides the Just (and I've said enough, so the interested can just google that).
My blood type query was entirely relevant. This is a casual game site. I attempted to put a false email address in but it wouldn't accept it. As this is only an advert for crisps, I'm not too bothered on missing out.
Hi, I'm on this site everyday and really love it- but I have to agree that this game is not the greatest... My computer froze after starting the game too. :(
Thanks scrundle for the kind words.
As for the ratings, they'll stay as they are. They have served us fairly well up until now, I really don't have any plans to change it any time soon.
As more votes are cast the average does have a tendency to eventually reach an appropriate (and hence 'deserved') figure. Steps to reduce that number would adversely affect that tendency.
This game is awesome!
I can see a lot of work went in to this, the graphics are amazingly scary and the quick thinking puzzles totally fit the genre.
I don't really think this is the typical point-n-click escape game we are used to in a weekday escape post, but I'ts good to see something different, something unique that hasn't been played before. something like this!
So far I'm really enjoying this game, It gets your adrenalin pumping and makes you almost close your eyes at every turn you take.
currently I'm stuck in the room with the guy, you only get two tries to get the code or the guy will kill you. I know how to complete it but it's just so damn hard :(
Anyways, a bad point of the game is that you MUST have your sound turned on to be able to hear certain clue's in certain levels. this isn't handy if you want to play with the sound off because else you will get a hart attack.
I must say, I've always been into scary games, and this is so far the most scary game I've ever seen.
GOOD JOB!
I'm loving this game! I just gave a bogus mail-adress, problem solved.
My pc's a bit too slow for it, so it's a little difficult to perform certain tasks (like the music box). I am stuck with the numbers for the lock, I can see red stuff scribbled on the wall, but no luck. Help?
[Edit: You could just change your computer's clock. -Jay]
That is true. However, this fact was not apparent until after the problem was brought forward in the comments made by myself and some others.
As for the low rating.... I don't know why! I never rate a game until I have actually played it. I also have never played a game from this site that was THAT bad.
That said.... the tone here has gotten a little .... harsh... a little sour? not sure why either. Thank you Scrundle for your comments. Some very good points there. I have breaks during my work day and usually like to hang out here. Sometimes it takes many hours to play one game because I put it aside until my next break.
This really has been a great site to visit and play and read other people's struggles with figuring out puzzles. Even sour notes won't keep me away, but it may be in my best interest to keep my future comments to myself. :)
Pieter8888: You're entirely right about the sound thing, thx for mentioning it. I should have thought to.
I'm sorry this is crashing some of your browsers! For what it's worth, I'm using Safari and have had no problems. In terms of the entering an email addy thing...well, personally, I keep two gmail accounts, one normal and one for other stuff like this. The way I see it, though, is that doritos has created this (in my opinion) really awesome game for us, for free...they have to have some recompense for it. Personally, I'm willing to take 10 seconds to unsubscribe from an email list if I get any unwanted msgs.
Each to her own, though, and I certainly respect each person's right to their own opinion.
for the room with the guy in the middle and the lock
Listen carefully, on the background you will be hearing this voice telling you tree different objects (it changes every time you die and restart). the goal is to seek the objects you hear on the wall and note the number of the corresponding objects. FOR EXAMPLE: if you hear the word spider just search for the spider and look for the red markings, The spider counts 8 red feet. so spider means the number 8. do the same for the other two objects and insert the code in order you heard them in the wall panel.
Hope this helps!
I would never put a rating in if I hadn't played, especially if I wasn't registered (so people could comment on my choice). I just think more should be made of the fact that this is an advertisement for a brand of crisps, and you have to give your personal information to an advert.
Thanks Pieter! (I had the sound on way too low, to make it less scary... didn't work).
I thought there were supposed to be thirteen levels? I only got ten, then I was out.
I personally love this game and don't see why there are so many negative comments about it. This game goes above and beyond what I expect for an online game and I love how you can incorporate some of the real world into this game (the phone call). Something else I feel is worth mentioning is how awesome it is that you can use your mic and webcam in game just to make the experience feel more real.
During the part where you need to put the baby to sleep was even more horrifying because with the mic, you have to sing to the baby instead of just running your mouse across the screen.
and during the part where you need to find the photo, they use a picture of you instead of the hallway photo when you use your webcam.
Creepy, amazing, game.
Well, I finished it and I only scared my way through 10 levels :/ I don't know if some puzzles count for just 1 like when
you have to relax the sleeping child and finally you have to make your way out of the room, cause those are two different puzzles
anyways. a great game, I really liked the scary atmosphere the game has.
I'm going to bed now.... If I dare :(
Whenever a new game is posted I usually first read some of the comments to see what people think of it so far... and wow, the comments here reminded me a bit of the feedback 'Crypt Keeper' originally had when it was posted! Admittedly, I was part of the angry mob back then, but this one looks quite good so far. I had to leave so I couldn't advance much, but I'll definitely be giving it a go lately.
As for the info required, I find it quite surprising that people don't have a justforspamanduselessstuff email if they like playing stuff online. I know I do.
PS: Just my two cents, but I think ratings should be allowed to registered users only :/
You don't need to give a real email address. Just type in a fake one like [email protected] or similar.
Wow! controversial weekday escape!
To add my two penworth; I found the request for details off putting, read the comments to see what people thought, tried the game and found it too scary for me. It looks like an excellent game if your nerves and computer can cope with it
Weekday Escape is the peak of my week. I am eternally grateful to you Jess for being personally responsible for my happiness once a week. Please may we have less horror?
I don't want to wake the creepy child up again she scares me every time.....incredible graphics in this I actually have taken my hands off the keyboard a few times and covered my face in fear!
Any game that can do that is pretty awesome...totally not what you expect from doritos either..its not cheesy (excuse the pun) but seriously can someone tell me what I'm doing wrong while trying to keep the kid asleep because I'm struggling and I don't know if my heart can take too many more tries
I know I could try changing my clock, but when you're at work and the clock is tied in to the network then it's not so simple.
Why am I playing at work?
Mind your own business! :-P
It's ok I figured it out
I didn't really use that sound thing to the right of the circle. It tells you how fast you need to spin otherwise she wakes up.
For those of you with scruples of leaving your email all over the web; use mailinator.com. Valid, free email, no sign up, no anything, just a place for all your spammy needs. I'm sure there are other sites like it out there too.
I played this game before (it's actually been released for quite a while now) and found it too scary for me to finish :( It has top-notch graphics and audio though, I just don't have the nerves to play it.
very clever and original. one of the best games i've played in a while. i think it's clever making it so that you can only play it at night..so stop your whining everyone. and prompts you to use headphones for more of a real experience.
Grreat game!! Off the chain graphics & sound! Totally spooky! I couldn't finish it - I think I may actually have nightmares tonight.
I've been a fan of this site for a while and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the fact that I can just come to jayisgames.com to play some of the most funnest games ever that I normally would never know were even available if not for the good folks on this here site! Yeah, I know funnest is not a word but how do you explain that giddy goodness you get when playing an exceptional escape game?
That said, I'm off to watch some cartoons. Seriously. Room 626 is that scary to me!
I am NOT playing this, but why does anything need your blood type? I've played a DS game called Theme park which needed your blood type. Idea! Maybe it's because different blood types have different personalities.
changing your computer's clock is not a good idea
Reece - the game doesn't ask for your blood type. That was just an exaggeration by popiella about the information you have to give in the beginning.
I can't make out
what the guy in the straitjacket is saying.
Great game :)
It's totally a 'mood game'.. great visuals and sound.
Even though I was *really* impressed by the visuals, the puzzles were a little boring. But very creative!.. I had a very difficult time..
trying to understand the voice in the lock part. house, plant and lawyer? mouse, land and shower? hose, gland and schnootzer? :P
All things considered, my thumbs up for this one! :D
Wait...I have to enable my web cam and mic? No one has commented on that. What's the deal? I never play with sound on...is that going to be necessary as well? And why would I turn on MY web cam? I'm surprised no one has said anything about it. Can someone tell me what the point is? I'm not really comfortable with the software being able to take my picture and I'd like a bit-o-feedback before I sign up. Thanks, all!
Sarah, someone has commented about it. Something to the effect that it is an innovative way to get you into the game.
Enabling the mic and camera are not required, but will enhance the experience.
Sarah: At the beginning, when you register, you have the option of allowing the game to access your webcam/microphone. If you choose yes, your voice/picture will come up in later levels in the game. If not, no biggie; you'll have other tools at your disposal for the same purposes. So no worries, you're not going to have any info taken that you don't want to. :)
Great game! Love the atmosphere and visuals. Too bad I didn't have the time (read: guts) to finish the game.
Sorry, Jay...I've skimmed through the comments twice and only saw a mention about needing the sound on. Well, in my re-read, it sounds way too scary for me anyway!! I think I might have to not play it.
Jess
Good pick for the weekly escape, this game is well done. But I do concur with cheeseboy about the horror. I take it that you adore a good scare every now and then. :)
I believe the deluge of horror titles lately is because of the Halloween 'season'.
great game!
i love this type of stuff, the immersion and all.
there i am, phone pressed to one ear, game noise in the background, lights off, thinking "hurry hurry hurry" !!!
i loved the integration of the mic, the cam, and the phone, really brought the whole thing together.
the puzzles could have been more challenging, but i think that this was more of an "experience" than anything.
thanks for pointing the way!
Yeah, I know there's been a lot of horror lately. :( Actually, it's not really by my choice (I like, not love, the genre)...it's just that it seems like all the best stuff lately has been horror-themed. Probably just the Halloween season.
I think this is the scariest thing I've played since Phantasmagoria. And when my fiance heard me crying about the scariness he snuck in the room and closed the door and turned out the light so now I can't play anymore because I really freaked myself out!
Why does it need the cam and mic enabled? Is this neccesary?
[Edit: Check the posts above yours. It is not necessary. -Pam]
This was a great game. I'm a huge fan of the horror genre, especially in games, so it was a pleasant pick-up to my day to be able to come onto JayIsGames and see such a wonderful game posted. Despite all that, though, I wasn't scared by the game. Not much, anyway. "Creeped out" is more like it. Although, that part with the woman and the camera had me cringing at the thought of clicking my mouse (am I the only one who was terrified of that part?). I chose not to have the game call me, did I miss out on anything major there?
This game is so scary! I can't play it anymore! I just can't!
Uhh...I hate to nit-pick but the review is WRONG. There are 10 levels, not 13.
the link in this game where you view the terms before you accept them, didn't work
w9snnw
Creepy! It's definitely worth trying at least a level or two for the experience; I couldn't get much further than that without running the risk of a heart attack.
This has been an awesome room escape game week - thank you Jay, Jess and everyone.
Hehe, Hotel 626... Hotel Six-to-six. I just got that.
This game is terrifying. But the loading times between scenes is too much. I got past the third "tally mark" and called it quits.
I didn't find the loading times to be unbearable, but I am disappointed that my computer isn't keeping up. I've got so much dreaded lag that it's making it really difficult to play at all. I was delightfully surprised at how spooky some moments were, though.
The coolest thing is that it doesn't resort to 'cheap suprise' where something pops up on the screen really quickly....previously people have complained on other games about how annoying that is...In this the scare is purely ambience and tension because you know somethings going to happen. That makes it way more scary
Totally freaked out right now. I'm scared to go on but I want to know how the poloroids on the lines works.
oh mu god, oh my god,oh my god..... wht a frakingly awesome game. i loved it. i couldnt breathe.
except my wireless internet couldnt keep up with the loading time.
nevertheless, worth the wait!!!
UnderwaterPeacock:
The level title is "Find yourself an exit."
Find a photo that looks like one of the hotel's hallways.
You can click below a row of photos to move to the next row.
Jay,
I have to say I'm very surprised that you're recommending people change the time of their clock, when there were repeated warnings against doing exactly that in the My Tribe comments only a few days ago:
[Edit: It's always a bad idea to change the computer clock for a game. It can mess things up in the game and on your computer. I strongly advise against changing the computer clock! -Pam]
I see dead people! LOL
Great game! 5*
In the room with hanging polaroids, you'll notice that everyone but you is relatively photogenic (well, I'll speak for myself), their face fills the frame, and they're on a black background.
When you finish the game, the first minute of the falling polaroids is also these "stooges," people who were photographed especially for the game.
But if you wait long enough, you start seeing real people who have allowed their pictures to be posted. It's fun to see couples playing together, students playing from laptops in class, people with weird camera filters on, etc. I assume the game is supposed to take your picture at a time when you are frightened at something, but most of the people aren't, though there are a lot more people with their hands on their faces than is normal (I think).
It's cool to see people from all over the world playing. People watching at its best.
JIGers, here's the challenge. When is the picture taken? The polaroids have different hash-mark numbers on them, that may indicate during which level it was taken. Second challenge: hold a picture of Linda Blair from The Exorcist in front of your face for the camera and get it in the gallery.
OKAY, that's enough comment-reading for me. Everything I've read so far is complaining about something. or complaining about the complainers. ENOUGH!
I come here for the games. Especially the FREE games that I never would have found if JIG hadn't hunted them up for me. And this one's a doozy.
LOVE the graphics and atmosphere. But I must be doing something wrong: can't get out of the "just in time" or "Lullaby" levels in time. Maybe it's Firefox? But no...the "picture" level was just fine. Guess I'm just missing something.
Changing my PC clock worked fine. I've done it before. I just make sure that I change it BACK as soon as I'm finished my game/movie trailer/whatever wants "certain hours".
Pretty impressive for what's probably going to lead to a Natcho commercial. Thanks, Jay!
I love this, I love to be scared, one problem though, it crashed my browser and pc a few times, and when it wasn't crashing it was running really slow. It's not my rig its pretty high end, I play games that require alot more than a browser game should ever require. A shame I won't be able to finish this one cause of that reason.
I believe the requirement of personal information is to emulate a scenerio of a hotel check-in, i.e the game starts when you key in your information to 'check' into the hotel.
That worked for me at least. I didn't think they were trying to spam my mailbox, but it was more like a part of a game.
Never mind, got it. Amazing what you can learn when you click the little `help` icon!
Jay, I can understand why you don't like games receiving low ratings (bad for business, promo's etc), so... just have a rating system that goes from 3 - 5. Problem solved!
Wow, this was a great game! Almost a little too scary, haha! Sound was only important on one of the levels that I played, but you can skip levels.
Jay, on the scoring system: a few other sites have implemented a scoring system that considers a new game to be under judgment until it's received a set number of votes. The advantage here o'course is that you get a wider cross-section of game experiences and a more realistic vote tally.
And I'm almost certain that the 6p to 6a isn't about the hotel experience (most allow check-in at 4pm), as much as it's another stopgap to keep the kiddies out.
The game itself. Though the screen froze in the middle of the camera/bathroom puzzle, the graphics were top-notch, I widdled myself twice, the concept was sound and I'm intrigued enough to defrag my hardrive, make sure my drivers are all up to date, and I'll try it again. In the sunlight. With the sound on low. ;)
Thanks, GK. It's a good idea. In fact, games are not considered for the "Top Rated" and "Best Games" lists until they pass the threshold number of votes we've set.
Making the ratings widget not show a rating until a threshold is reached is an excellent idea and would address the concerns I have during the initial voting period.
Very scary which is good
like the way its put together but the lock guy in the straightjacket........sound clues only???
not so good when you are deaf
might not eat a Dorito again
When you play the room with the madman and the lock, there is one vital aspect to consider:
the number of figures on the wall do not correspond to the numbers you should enter in the padlock
That is a good idea, GK, and I hope Jay will implement it. The initially low or high scores are the equivalent of "1% precincts reporting": not a good sample.
This game is indeed scary, though not I think as scary as "Doritos Collisions--Hot Wings and Blue Cheese Flavored Tortilla Chips": that product truly terrifies me.
dude the game was awsome one of the coolest escapes ever
Don't get me wrong, I'm impressed with the production value, but it wasn't really "scary" per se. It didn't have enough of a plot for that. I mean, they don't even explain why you begin fleeing in the first place. The places where things jump out at you were also very predictable. Still, these issues were far from making the game un-fun, and I love how the camera and microphone were integrated.
As for when the webcam shot is taken:
I played twice, and both times, the picture was taken at the very beginning of the third tally mark (the one with the woman and the camera, logically enough) the instant the scene finished loading. I know this because my camera software annoyingly popped up when it happened.
aha.......change the time of yr pc..i think the game will allow u to play.
I HAD to try this game after reading the comments... I mean, how scary can a game truly be?? It takes forever to load each level, but once there..... This game actually freaked me out to the point I had to give up at the 4th level!!! I am a true horror fan and LOVE these types of games.... but this is the ONE I cannot play while home alone!!! Thank you SOOO much for adding this Jay!!!
I gave up at the "show her the light" level because my arm handles like there's a balloon tied to my shoulder.
Okay, first off, yes, hello! First time poster, long time lurker, you all know the drill. At the risk of sounding too fawny, I really would like to thank Jay and the staff of this site -- it's because of you guys that I find neat games like this that I would probably never come across otherwise. (Especially the Chzo Mythos.)
As for this game, well . . . I tried. I really did. Jess, you snagged me when you started talking about hooking up your mic and creepy phone calls. I thought, I'm a brave gal! I play horror games all the time! I've got my big girl pants on! Surely I can handle this!
NO.
Just . . .
NO. And NO again.
I think it's the unusually high production value that's really thrown me for this one. I mean, yes, admittedly maybe I'm a bit of a chicken, but from the grainy, horror movie film effect to the harsh breathing of the protagonist, I had to call it quits after the first level. My reasoning? I knew something BAD was coming. My husband is in the other room making fun of me right this second for shutting it off and squealing. Don't get me wrong; I'll come back to it. Just . . .
. . . y'know . . .
Maybe after I've cheated and adjusted my system clock. In the daylight. Because everyone knows psychopaths and evil spirits won't attack you in the daytime. And maybe when I have the cats locked out of the room so I can't shriek when they brush up against me. Yeah. That would be good.
As far as the people who have been crashing, I'm using the latest version of Firefox, and my java AND my flash are up to date as well. Please check for any updates for your browser of choice, and make sure your java and flash are the newest versions. Keep in mind older browsers might not be able to handle this, and if you continue crashing on load, consider using another browser. I mean, you CAN have two. C'mon. All the cool kids are doing it.
Hahaha! Thanks, for the great comment, Dora! ^_^
(I haven't been able to play more than a little at a time, myself.)
I could never get the lullaby part..Looked at the help, doesn't shed light. tried following the spinning circle with its speed, doesn't work. Tried going at my own pace, doesn't work. Tried going at a steady pace, doesn't work. Tried going at a fast pace, doesn't work. Tried clicking, doesn't work. Tried skipping, it hung.
Faeleia
The little red and white thingie next to the spinning circle is your speed gauge. Try to keep the speed of your spin at a pace that will keep the gauge reading in the white area - too fast or too slow will both read red.
I am working the graveyard shift at a hotel and let me say this game scared me silly. Made my nightly rounds alot more fun. Great game!
I can't for life of my work out how to get past the stair case
never mind.. I always get it just as I post..
Okay. After bravely (read: blubberingly) soldiering through this game, here's my final impression. Spoiler'd for length, no actual gameplay spoilers therein.
I can't tell you how pleased I was with this, for several reasons. Firstly, it's nice to see a game whose conception of horror doesn't consist entirely of things crashing through windows and doors over and over and over. That sort of noise might be good for a leap in your chair and a feeling of general embarrassment, but it's the claustrophobic, tense, hurried atmosphere of games like 626 that will genuinely linger with you long after you've turned your browser off.
Secondly, it was nice to play as a character whose first reaction, upon hearing an unholy cacophony in the middle of the night is to GET THE HELL OUT. It's so frustrating being forced to progress through a game that makes you act as though you're one of those characters you would scream at in a theater for being dense.
Although admittedly, here I am booking a reservation in a hotel whose amenities include demonic faces trapped in the walls at the front desk. But hey, free cable!
As Jess mentioned in her review, the downside of this game can be that your own nervousness can shut down the part of your brain required to make obvious connections, leaving you sniveling and reloading over and over while you try to get past a particular puzzle. None of it is actually difficult, but if you're a self-admitted coward, such as myself, you'll do well to take a break now and again to calm your nerves and refresh your perspective. Often, as little as fifteen minutes can be sufficient for you to take a fresh look at something that was frustrating you before and immediately spot what you were missing.
While the visuals are nice, what stands out for me, as I've mentioned before, is the sound, an often neglected but integral part of gaming experiences. Wearing headphones really takes the game to whole new levels as every panting breath seems like it's coming right on the nape of your neck. Almost making you feel as though the developer who wants all your incredibly personal and private details and e-mail address is INSIDE THE HOUSE. WOOOOOOOO! (/tease)
Bottom line? I almost feel like I should be eating more Doritos or something. Or even any Doritos, really. After all, here they are giving me this really neat, free little game and I've turned into the sort of person who eats those disgusting wholesome, natural snacks. Is that how I repay them?! Give it a look because while it may not be exactly groundbreaking in terms of originality, the quality is honestly far and above most other offerings on the web today. Or if only to come back and tell me how much of a baby I am.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Dora! Thanks for your great comment.
This was a really unique game. There are some things that they make usage of. I'm a big fan of horror and room escape games and I thought this one was great. Seriously spooky when I was on my own. And because I liked it so much I played it twice. The thing with the guy in the room was kinda weird, I couldn't get the codes to work at first for some reason.
I thought it was inadvisable to change our computer clocks. We were advised against it when this has come up in the past (virtual villagers, my tribe, etc). Now we're encouraged to do it. Go figure.
The game is pretty good. Very chilling. I'm too much of a wimp--I can't play with the sound on.
What a great game!! So much tense! I played it in the dark and the adrenaline got so high!! I hope they make much more games like this one!!
7najps
I'm not even sure what I'm supposed to do on the level with all the hanging Polaroids. Any hints?
Ugh, never mind.
WOW ok so I just found this site tonight ... whoops its morning now ... anyways... All I know is this is one of the coolest games ever! I had no issues with anything anyone seems to be having issues with... also I am playing in the middle of the night because with 3 kids and 6 day care kids who has any time before 9:00 at night? I wish there were more of these types of games I might never sleep with the lights off by holy crapsticks it would be so worth! I cant wait to find out what all my friends think ... I told everyone about it! Ok well I am off to play again ( I haven't finished it yet) I have 4 more hours I can play ... and I will have a whole hour to sleep before day care kids start ariving! Thank God for coffee!
I've been a devote fan of room escape games for ages, and this game was so amazing that it inspired me to join your little community with the intent of defending this game's honor. It was so creative and frightening that it was stunning. It scores perfect nine and a half out of ten on my awesome-oh-meter.
I can understand if it's not everyone's cup of tea. For instance the thing got to seem more like a movie than a game to me in some parts, but it defiantly made up for it with its miraculous, almost phantasmagorical innovations and polished performance.
This game was awesome, although it was a little short.
It has stunning graphics and I loved the Blair Witch Project style cam movement.
It DOES what it promises..SCARE you.
And I do appreciate the 6 pm to 6 am stuff...Play it at midnight and you'll know what I mean..:)
Thanks Jay for posting this... :)
hey out there,
been a long-time-lurker and read all this comments. men, what a duscussion, but sometimes great.
what was really nice to see, were those pictures of other players in the very end as said above. i never in the last year of playing online-games, knew that i dont have to consider myself a freak for playing all this. joking, but you get my point - just good to see what different kind of people from all over quite obviously enjoyed (if you can say so while youre eating your shirt from fear) this great game.
and to eventually speak it out loud as well: this site is marvelous and i really appreciate the work an effort youre putting into it guys!
Januschka
p.s. sorry, my english probably isnt the best - im german
I found it really scary...and slightly disturbing...
Sorry but Holy WOW This game is freaky scary. i cant even think without remembering every little detail of the awesome game. i give it a 9 out of 10 (minus 1 cause it's way too scary for me) hehe
Dude! I friggin' love this game, I was on cam for half the entire thing and kept screaming like a four year old. The girl and the picture thing amused me, and I felt like a pedophile But other than that, 5 stars! Definately. I invited people to go to this website. All my metal heads love a good demonic scare. And when I first played this game I definately hid under my friends pillow and was still terrified. It was so worth it! I prayed that I wouldn't piss myself. But I'd play this game again and again if I really could. Except the fact that I'm afraid I'll mentally injure myself. Lol. ^-^
Here's something funny:
I went on this page and guess what?
THE TIME WAS 6:26 PM!
rofl
me and my friends decided to play this game and we barely reached level 4 scary dude scary. and we played it at 9 or 10 in the night!
@ 3red7s:
Okay first of all, it doesn't ask for your blood type, you can put in diffrent information, and other than picture from your web cam and or name, it doesn't say any of your information to the other players. It's supposed to give the feel of hotel registration; supposedly, and the age is because (as said in the preview) you must be 18+ to play. The email would probably be for spam, so use a diffrent one or make one up.
hotel 626 is a very horrifying game. i want to play it all the time but i feel something strange when i'm playing this game. i really don't know what to do when i'd play hotel 626 for the fi
why was there a face at the beginning of the game when you just about to read hotel 626 is open at 6 am to 6 pm
this game is amazing..the graphics are spooky and the game really gives you the adrenaline rush..enough of the negative comments for god's sake..
Hotel 626 is a fun but complicated game and it's not for the faint heart.
Hotel 626 combines the elements of horror and mystery into a web based game and it's actually very high quality game.
The game require playing through a series of 10 levels, solving codes and completing various tasks. Recommended if you are into horror type games. I personally had a fun time and i end up staying up for hours. :)
I dunno...the title has a triangle in it..that's kinda Dorito's oriented. :D
Yay! I've completed the game! But I've skipped a few levels so...
The last cinematic...
You finally escape the hotel, you get in the car, then that girl from the camera level is in the back seat.
Happy Halloween! I'm typing this on Oct. 30, 2010. :D
Don't complain about the game because they ask you for your email.. all you have to do is give them a fake email. that way you can play the game and you wont get SPAM !! there problem solved :)
i read some comments saying their screen freezes during the game.... OOOH... SO CREEPY WHEN IT'S A GHOST FACE FROZEN ON THE SCREEN '~' am a chicken and VERY RELUCTANT to play this game... a classmate just told me about this and she plays without sounds (which is, making the game REALLY A PIECE OF HELL, LITERALLY -- HELL.)
This game needs improvement...damn easy...and the over all view is not as scary as i have expected... although thumbs up for the game atleast...had beaten Plants vs. Zombies....ROFTL...
ohh...and the password
its 839...:)
the password isn't 839, you have to
turn your sound on and listen to the background voices.
this is coming from a guy who's never played it before but has watched a friend play a lot.
yeah. i'm such a wuss. XD
Homygosh! That game rocked! Gave fake info and BAM I was in! I died four times on the first level before I figured it out! I love this game! Who ever posted it, AWESOME JOB! This was great!
Erm...Does anyone know how to get pass the madman at Level 7? I've been playing Hotel 626 for like 47 times and I still can't pass that level,except for all the other levels.
good... but both these games (hotel 626 and asylum 626) are obviously just promotional experiences... not really games i guess. Hotel 626 is alright i guess, but i'm warning you of asylum 626. do NOT enter your facebook information, it will send spam from your account and tag random people!!!
any body can help me to solve the puzzle at Level 7?...it shows different object draw at the wall...and ir boggles my mind strongly!..
and gives me a head ache..pls...help me...
this is a well put together game...hmmm...but not "scary" i know it is just a game, but i have seen demons...and i have seen the unexplainable, but anyways cool game..
the password is hand spider horse= 983
Personally I LUH-OVE this game. Granted it's a bit to cutscene filled for my tastes but I think sacrificing play time for amazing actually REAL graphics and the personalized interactive bits is perfectly okay with me. I guess I'm just a horror junky so anything like this is okay with me but still, I give it a thumbs up :)
So... what browser is best to use?? I have here Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer (though I always use Firefox)
i dont play much horror games but i do love the feeling of dread you get from not knowing whats coming next this a beast game but i am screwed up in the head beace i watched a crap of horror movies when i was 7 so sadly i did not find this scary it needs a way to make you actually feel like the person is you i give it a 7/10 plus 1 for giving you no way to defend yourself
That was the scariest game of my life!!!!!!!!!!!
I thought it was :S
lol
some parts were hard though
I had to put my headphones on and off and half on every second to make sure my ears dont bust and I dont get scared as much
THAT WAS THE BEST HORROR GAME OF MY LIFE
im scared to go to bed tonight
LOL
did i drink too much coffee
hee ho hee hoheeho heeeheeheheheheooooo
-Kabob34
i think this games is just nonsense. you shouldn't ask the visitors to fill in their personal information. it doesn't make any sense!
i don't have a webcam or mic i only have headphones i hope i can still play it
I think I know now why the call this game 626.
Because it's open from 6PM (6) to (2) 6AM (6)
Wish I'd know(it probably said it somewhere, I just didn't notice) that you had to be 18+ to play. I *foolishly* entered my real date of birth('95), so now I'm locked out from playing...presumably forever? Oh well, I probably wouldn't of been able to sleep tonight had I played anyway.
here are the codes:
Tree=4
Eye=6
Candles=4
Spider=8
Hands=9
Horse=3
i hope it can help!!!
[Spoiler added :) ~ Kayleigh]
Hi,
I was trying to play this game but it says that the system cannot find the specified file.
I already change the time.
Thank you.
[It looks like Doritos has taken the game offline. :( A very sad day. -Jay]
How do I even get into the game? It's already like 7:45pm here and I can't even get into the game. All I get is some dumb advertisements about some crash the super bowl thing...Help me cause I need to play this fast...
@SlimShadyLover-
As Jay mentions in the post above yours, the game is currently removed by Doritos, the game host.
Perhaps they mean it to be only seasonal and we can look for it next October? Time holds the answers ;-)
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